As a public speaker, how did you discover your ideal audience?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. I currently have multiple ideal audiences.

As a Toastmasters member for over 26 years, my fellow Toastmasters are an ideal audience for me in that they provide me an audience to practice with as well as provide constructive feedback on my presentation skills.

A while back, I was a member of an advanced Toastmasters club where we focused on advanced public speaking skills. I received feedback on my content and the delivery of my presentation.

As an Indie author of a dozen or so self-help books and online e- courses, my ideal audience is specific to each of those publication’ s topics.

I also speak publicly on occasion on topics of general interest that aren’t related to my books. These are standalone presentations, so my ideal audience would be those interested in that particular subject.

While I have spoken for food over the years, I want to transition from free to fee. So, I have yet to discover my ideal audience and my expectations are they will pay me for my wisdom and sage advice.